May 22, 2007

News Articles

Audit uncovers fraud in state’s storm program
An audit of the Louisiana Department of Social Services disaster food stamp program implemented in response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita found numerous instances where benefits were issued to people who were ineligible, reports The (Baton Rouge) Advocate. The audit issued Wednesday by the Louisiana legislative auditor found that disaster food stamps were issued to people, including department employees, who did not meet income criteria, who were not living in a federally declared disaster parish, or who had altered their Social Security numbers to evade the checks and balances of the system.

See Advocate article

Public housing sits empty and waiting
Despite oft-heard protests about the dearth of public housing in New Orleans, the Housing Authority of New Orleans said Monday that it has at least 283 apartments repaired, cleaned and ready for former public housing tenants. Problem is, it can't seem to entice former residents to return, reports The Times-Picayune. The reasons for residents' delayed returns are complex, from the city's struggling public school system and lack of health care to the long-standing turf wars that make the idea of transplanting families from one end of New Orleans to the other a realistic risk of running into violence.

See Times-Picayune article

Carter: Insurance crisis hurting hurricane recovery
Former President Jimmy Carter said the insurance crisis along the Gulf Coast is wiping out much of the benefit that humanitarian organizations are trying to provide to victims of the devastating 2005 hurricane season, reports The Associated Press. Carter said the typical interest-free, 30-year mortgage payment for the modest, raised, one-floor homes built by Habitat for Humanity run about $220 per month. Insurance on those same homes can sometimes run as high as $500 a month, Carter said, essentially tripling the cost of the home to those the house-building organization is trying to help.

See Associated Press article

Government Data

Federal Procurement Data System
The Federal Procurement Data System posted its latest information on hurricane-related contract awards. The system has been updated to include Defense Department and FEMA contracts. The total spent on post-Katrina contracts as of May 21 stands at $15.67 billion.

FPDS Katrina contracts